The Invitation
by sunny tuesday
Summary: The turning point of Lily's and James' love and hate relationship. A threechapter fic. COMPLETE. Originally written for a contest at the Reviews Lounge. Please enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**THE INVITATION  
by chipped purple nail polish**_  
this post: May 7th, 2007_

a/n: This is for a contest for the Reviews Lounge forum. We had to include ten words (suave, slippers, cannibal, sapid, pirouette, curlicues, guitar, crystallized pineapple, hot air balloon, and repressed) in a oneshot. Enjoy!

* * *

**1/1**

Lily watched, slightly disgusted, as Professor Horace Slughorn finished his crystallized pineapple, "mmm-mmming" after every apparently sapid bite. Once he was finished, he looked up at his students expectantly, smiling. Standing up, he appeared to be dressed in a bathrobe and slippers. Lily heard Sirius harrumph in a very suave manner behind her. Despite her own proper conduct, Lily did her best to hold back her own repressed smile at "Old Sluggy's" appearance.

"Er...Professor?" She asked, slipping her hand up in the hair. Professor Slughorn grinned at her.

"Yes, Ms. Evans?" Professor Slughorn asked.

"What's with the bathrobe?"

"Ah," Slughorn smiled. "You noticed?"

"It's kind of...hard not to," she pointed out, her cheeks turning pink.

"It's," he pointed out, matter-of-factly. "My birthday. And everyone should be allowed to wear their pajamas on their birthday. Dumbledore supports me, but Dippet on the other hand..." He trailed off, looking rather uncomfortable.

At this, the rest of the class could no longer hold themselves back and burst into raucous laughter. Lily shook her head. Regaining her composure, she raised her hand and gave Slughorn her most charming smile. "Happy Birthday, Professor."

"Why thank you, Ms. Evans! Now, onto the potion making... Today we will be concocting the Flutter Potion... Very nice potion, actually, a personal favorite." Slughorn continued.

"A _Flutter _Potion, sir?" June Edgecombe, from the third row, asked. "What does it do?"

"Makes you float up in the air!" Slughorn cried enthusiastically. "Much like those pathetic muggle contraptions...erm, the whooziwhatzits- started with an 'H', I swear..."

"A hot air balloon?" Lily rescued him.

"Yes!" Slughorn replied, delighted. "So, you'll be making the Flutter Potion today. Best potion maker will receive a prize!"

The class eagerly began preparing their potion, which proved to be rather simple. As Lily was adding her essence of Mullerwart, James tapped her on her shoulder.

"So, Hogsmeade this weekend," he began, grinning at her toothily. "Yeah..."

"I have plans," Lily muttered, stirring her potion, which was a deep shade of violet.

"Ah, that awful excuse! What could be better than hanging out with me?" James continued vainly. Remus, who was concentrating on his own potion, smiled through the vapors rising from his cauldron, and Sirius burst out laughing. Peter was so full of hysteria that he fell from the chair onto the floor, at which Sirius was disgusted and stopped laughing with an odd look on his face.

"You're a bloody cannibal," Lily growled as she extinguished her fire. "You think that just because you've got great hair and are a good Quidditch player that you can do whatever you want, but you're wrong."

"So, you've noticed?" James smiled, running his fingers through his ebony locks. Lily blushed and turned away, stowing her potion into a flask rather clumsily, and accidentally dumped her entire cauldron and all of its contents onto the floor.

"Fantastic," Lily murmured as she pulled her wand out of her bag. James was staring at her, grinning, and Sirius was laughing. Again. Thankfully, Peter had remained in his chair, although he was guffawing rather annoyingly.

"I _do_ affect you," James grinned. "Ha!" He pulled his wand out and smiled. "No, let me do it," he offered, motioning to the purple potion on the floor.

"No thanks," Lily told him through gritted teeth as she slashed her wand through the air. The potion disappeared, and the cauldron hoisted itself back on her desk. Thankfully, her flask of Flutter Potion was still in tact.

"You know." James said, appearing hurt, "You ought to let a gentleman be chivalrous from time to time."

"You aren't chivalrous," Lily snapped. "You're bigheaded, vain, and a rude snot."

"And you," James smiled, "Are a very sweet-tempered girl."

Before Lily could retort, Slughorn appeared before the class. "The bell's about to ring- please bring your finished potions here." Lily stood up and planted her flask on Slughorn's desk, as did a few others. James sat his next to Lily's, and Lily noticed, with pride, that his had a pink sheen.

"Just as I expected," Slughorn grinned as they returned to their seats. "Lily Evans! Well done, well done, now here is your prize!" He held up a guitar, a muggle music instrument.

"Er...Thank you, Sir," Lily told him, receiving her prize. "It's a...guitar?"

"Not just a guitar!" Slughorn cried. "It's specially charmed to play anything the player wants, despite their musical prowess! Play away."

Lily, feeling extremely foolish, strummed a few strings inexpertly. A melody began to play. Lily smiled when she recognized it. "Fur Elise."

"Is it?" Slughorn asked absentmindedly. "It is rather pretty..."

A moment later the bell rang. The students packed up and briskly left the classroom, heading to dinner. Lily charmed the guitar to be the size of a thimble and stowed it in her pocket before packing up.

Lily walked outside the classroom, and found herself in the middle of a rather...well, stupid argument.

"Shut up, Potter," Snape yelled, pulling out his wand threateningly.

"Shut up, Potter!" Sirius called in a squeaky voice. The rest of the Marauders laughed.

James began to dance around, throwing in a pirouette and a demi plié. "Look at me, I'm Snape, my hair's all long and girly. Ha ha ha ha ha!" He called, in a voice of a little girl.

"Knock it off!" Snape yelled, stepping forward, his wand pointed at James' heart.

"Watcha gonna do?" James laughed. "Hex me?" In a single moment, James pulled out his wand and Snape was hanging upside down from the ceiling.

"Stop it!" Lily shouted, having enough. "When will you arrogant pigs grow up?"

Snape muttered the counter-curse and stood up, brushing off his robes. "Go away, Mudblood," he snapped at her. "I don't need your bloody help."

Lily pulled out her wand, but left it resting at her side. James stepped forward, his wand level with Snape's face.

"Say it again," Lily growled. "Say it again. I dare you."

Snape rolled his eyes at her. "I don't take demands from filthy Mudbloods."

In a second's time, Snape was unconscious on the floor. James, looking extremely cool with himself, slipped his wand into his pocket and ran his hand through his hair.

"You're welcome, Evans," He smiled.

"I didn't say thank you," she told him ruefully.

"You don't have to," he grinned. Lily stared around. Sirius, Remus, and Peter seemed to have left.

"You are-" Lily began.

"Must you insult me so much?" James begged.

Lily rolled her eyes.

"Listen," he continued hastily. "I'm throwing a party in my dorm tonight. We've enlarged it. Only...select...people are invited. In order to get in you need an invitation. Won't you come?" He handed her a piece of parchment. Lily took it mechanically.

"It's just...Lily, I'm sorry I'm so bigheaded and arrogant." He said softly, walking forward.

Lily remained where she stood. "I don't believe you..."

James smiled. "I know you don't...But trust me. It's just, that's my only way of showing...affection." He walked even closer to her. They were only a foot apart.

"A-affection?" Lily's voice caught. James had always been a flirt, but this was...different. Romantic, even. Her heart fluttered, as though she had just ingested a large amount of Flutter Potion.

He took another bold step. Their faces were barely an inch apart. "Yeah, Lily- I love you." He took the next step, closing the space between them- and kissed her on the mouth.

Lily felt a swirl of emotions bounce around in her abdomen. The first was surprise, than pleasure, and then anger. _How dare he! _But she didn't want to stop kissing him. It felt too nice...

James pulled apart. Grinning, he took a step back. "See you at the party tonight?" he asked.

Lily couldn't find her voice. She nodded slowly.

James smiled. "Good," and then he turned away and walked down the corridor, a slight bounce in his step, and out of sight.

Lily collapsed, sinking against the wall. When had James Potter become such a heartthrob? She'd never felt this way toward him before... He'd always been an arrogant git... Lily touched her lips gently. Had his graced hers moments before? That side of James was so different, so intriguing... Still shocked, she glanced down at the party invitation. It was in cursive, littered with curlicues and written in bright golden ink.

Lily grinned to herself. Of course she'd go to the party. And she was going to have a good time.

**chipped**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Invitation  
**_**by sunny tuesday  
**this post: June 20th, 2007_

I know I said this was going to be a oneshot, but I was overruled. By 21 reviews. Thanks a bunch you guys. Please enjoy chapter two!

* * *

**2/3**

_What was I thinking?_ Lily asked herself ten minutes later. Saying yes to a party invitation from that idiotic Potter? And she kissed him! No- no, he kissed her, not the other way around. And she hadn't kissed him back. Of course not. Lily Evans does not like James Potter. Lily Evans never did, doesn't now, and never would.

_Oh but what a kiss… _she found herself thinking dreamily as she laid on her bed and stared at the ceiling, her hand slowly drifting to her lips, to marvel that he had graced them so wonderfully a mere hour ago. _No, no no! I can't think like this. James Potter is a pathetic, rude twerp and I am sorry I ever had to meet him! He's not even worth the dirt on my shoe! He might be the best kisser to ever exist on the planet but I will not, and I repeat, will NOT go to his party. _

But her hands rebelliously ripped open the invitation and her traitorous eyes read the words inside.

**PARTY!!! **

**_When: October 12th, 5:30- 1 am_  
****_Where: Boys' Rm. 7 Dormitory_  
**_**Who: Invited Select Gryffindors ONLY** _

She wanted to go. Really badly. Or, at least, part of her wanted to. The other part was shouting that she was stupid for getting herself into this mess. Stupid for allowing James Pathetic Potter to bewitch her with his really good kissing and alluring looks and attractive demeanor…

She had to stop thinking like this!

"Hey, Lils," a voice called. Lily looked up- it was Rebecca Bones, her roommate. "You get invited to Potter's Party?"

"P-Potter's Party?" Lily moaned, rolling over and standing up. "Yeah…"

"What's with the long face then? The party starts in an hour and I only just found out! I'll wear my new dress- you know, the one I got in Hogsmeade? Sirius will definitely notice me then!" Rebecca squealed, opening her trunk and pulling out a sleek black number.

Lily slumped back onto her bed and stuffed her face in her hands. "I'm not going."

"What?" Rebecca cried, in the middle of changing into the dress. "Perhaps I should shower…" she muttered to herself. "What? Why not? Everyone knows you're secretly in love with Potter! Just kiss him already and end the suspense!"

Lily was painfully reminded why she wasn't very close to Rebecca. Flinching slightly, she looked up at her roommate. "He kissed me today… And it was really, really good… But he's James Potter and he's an idiot! He's been going out with that Roberta girl from Slytherin since last Christmas, but he is still asking me out! Who would want a guy who threatens to cheat on you every five sec-"

"-He dumped Roberta a week into their relationship. Don't you ever listen to gossip?" Rebecca informed her, buckling on her heels. "And anyway, I heard he doesn't want to date anyone but you. From a reliable source."

"How sweet…" Lily murmured. "What reliable source?"

"A girl doesn't kiss and tell!" Rebecca giggled. "Or, at least, I don't. You seem to, though. So you kissed Potter? Big deal."

"_I _didn't kiss Potter!" Lily corrected her angrily, standing up and rummaging through her trunk. "_He_ kissed me!"

Rebecca shook her head, and began to curl her long, blonde locks with her wand. "You _enjoyed _it, though, right? So you might as well have kissed him. And if you _enjoyed_ it, then you must have kissed him back!"

"Well, we were down in the dungeons and it was dark and… and I was backed into a corner… I had no other choice." Lily argued weakly, even though she knew she had already lost the debate. Rebecca was right. She had kissed Potter, er, James, and she had liked it.

"Bad excuse. I bet he's already telling everyone how you guys kissed and that you're meeting him at the party and how you're practically a couple. _One more kiss, _is all, darling," Rebecca laughed. "Two kisses means you're a couple."

"I refuse to kiss him again!" Lily cried, grabbing an emerald green dress out of her trunk.

"Then why are you getting a dress?" Rebecca asked as she slathered on some eye shadow.

"I will go to the party," Lily announced with dignity. "And tell Potter that A) we are not a couple, B) he kissed me and as much as I _might_ have enjoyed it, he is still scum, and C) that he will not approach me in a romantic matter EVER again."

Rebecca shook her shoulders, a small smile on her freshly glossed lips. _She'll eat her words, mind you_, she thought, her mind already filling with delectable gossip, _she'll eat her words_.

* * *

An hour later, Lily found herself in front of a mirror, twirling small, green carnations into her hair and frowning. Inside, a war was waging. On one side, fought the Pro-Potter team, and on the other, the Anti-Potter.

And as much as she was sorry to hear it, the Pro-Potter team was winning. By a lot.

She had spent six years vowing never to date Potter, telling the whole world and his face that he was a moron, but it had never changed the way he felt about her. Somehow, despite her blunt rudeness, James Potter still loved her. After everything she had said and done, he still wanted her.

Oh, she hated her sense of morality!

Angrily, Lily jerked the flowers out of her hair and shoved them into the sink. She ran a comb through her hair and sat down on the edge of the tub. She had to make a decision right now. Was she going to continue this way, hating Potter? Or was she going to make the ultimate choice- to love him back?

"Lils! You coming or not? The party started eight minutes ago! If we want to be properly fashionably late we have to leave _now_!" Rebecca's too sugary-sweet voice called. Lily slumped against the porcelain tiled wall. The moment to decide was now!

"Lils!"

Lily sighed, standing up. Taking one glance in the mirror, she announced herself 'fine', and left the room. "Yes," she answered. "I'm coming, I guess."

"Good," Rebecca told her, grinning. "You're going to have an awesome time! Hannah told me this has the potential to be the best party of the year!"

"You go ahead," Lily grumbled. "I have to put on my shoes."

"Look, Lily," Rebecca's voice took on a more serious tone. "We all know it's going to happen sooner or later, you know? So it may as well be sooner, right?"

"Sure," Lily replied, surfing through her trunk for her sparkly green flats. "Sure. I'm almost done. I'll leave soon, okay?"

"All right," Rebecca told her. "But if you're not there in ten minutes I'm coming back to get you!" She grinned, flashing off her tongue-ring, before skirting out the door and closing it behind her.

Lily sat on her bed, slipping her shoes on. Rebecca's words rang in her ears… _"…Everyone knows you're secretly in love with Potter! Just kiss him already and end the suspense!… I heard he doesn't want to date anyone but you. From a reliable source… You enjoyed it, though, right? So you might as well have kissed him. And if you enjoyed it, then you must have kissed him back!… We all know it's going to happen sooner or later, you know? So it may as well be sooner, right?…" _

_"We all know it's going to happen sooner or later, you know? So it may as well be sooner, right?"_

Lily grimaced. Standing up, she brushed off her dress.

She was going to the party. But it didn't exactly mean that she was going to enjoy it.

**sunny tuesday**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Invitation  
**_by sunny tuesday_

a/n: Well., this is the last chapter of The Invitation. Thank you for all of the reviews. I really enjoyed writing this, so I hope you enjoyed reading it. Also, unlike the past two chapters, this is in James' POV. Thank you!

_EIGHTEEN MORE DAYS UNTIL HARRY POTTER BOOK SEVEN!!!_

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**3/3 **

"So…is she here yet?" James asked Sirius softly from the back of their enlarged dorm. "I mean, has Evans arrived?"

"No," Sirius said seriously. "Her roommate has though- that Becky chick who digs me. You were so right to invite her. I mean, did you _see_ the dress she's wearing?"

"Lily hasn't gotten here yet? But the party started fifteen minutes ago! She's the most punctual girl I've ever met and she isn't _here_ yet?" James asked incredulously. "Maybe I was wrong…Maybe she doesn't like me…"

"Prongs, she kissed you back right?" Sirius asked, watching Rebecca jealously as she flirted with some sixth year he had stupidly invited.

"Yeah," James answered, smoothing his shirt. "Hey- yeah, she did, didn't she?" he grinned.

"Well, as far as I've noticed, most girls kiss guys who they like. And she wouldn't have kissed you back if she was repulsed by you," Sirius pointed out. Rebecca had moved on from the sixth year and was eyeing… _Moony? _

"I guess that's true," James answered, glancing at the clock on the wall. "But she's still late."

"Not too late to be fashionably late," Sirius answered gruffly. "Now- one second-" and he rushed off. James watched, in silent hysteria, as Sirius pushed an unsuspecting Moony away from Rebecca, even though Rebecca was the one who had put her arms around Remus. A moment later Sirius and Rebecca had retired to a broom closet, and James was left, unhappily, to himself and his thoughts.

_She doesn't like me_, he thought, crestfallen. _After six and a half years of trying to convince her we're soul mates, she _still _doesn't like me_.

Somewhere he heard a door open and shut, but he didn't bother to look up.

_If she doesn't like me now_, he thought bleakly, _she'll never like me. I guess we weren't meant to be together. Lily must have been right. _

"Potter!" a familiar, slightly pompous, voice shouted. "Potter!"

James looked up, and a vision met his eyes; a red-haired angel in a rather snug green dress that brought out her gorgeous, bottomless, eyes…

"Potter, I have a bone to pick with you!" the vision cried angrily. Suddenly, his feet had stood him up, and he was staring down to a very angry Lily Evans.

"Uh, Lily?" he informed her sadly. "We have an audience." He motioned to the rest of the party, who were staring at them.

_If she's going to dump me…forever… I'd rather everyone _not_ see it_, he told himself, his heart breaking.

"Oh, right," Lily realized, smoothing her hair. She grabbed James' arm. "Uh, well, nothing to see here!" she announced as she pulled James through the party and out of the dormitory, to the deserted common room.

"Listen, Lily," James told her softly as they seated themselves across from each other in the empty common room. He tried to ignore the fact that Lily looked even more gorgeous than ever in her low-cut green dress, with her hair all curly and…different. "Listen… I understand. I won't bother you anymore. I won't even go near you anymore. I'm sorry…you were right."

Lily looked up, eyes wide. "What? I was _right_?" she asked, taken back.

"Yeah," James answered moodily. "I guess we weren't meant to be, like you've always said. And I am a git. And a loser. And a jerk…"

Lily leaned back in her seat, her face in her hands. "I'm right?" she murmured to the air. "He won't bother me anymore…? What…?"

"I- I should get back to the party…" James sighed. "See you, Lily, er, Evans," he told her, standing up. But as he passed by her armchair, she grabbed his arm, and stopped him. He glanced at her with puppy-dog eyes.

"Please don't make this any worse for me, Lily," he told her as he shrugged off her arm. "I've already been embarrassed in front of the entire party. Isn't that enough? Aren't you done torturing me?"

"Am I done?" Lily asked, a small smile on her perfectly glossed lips. James tried not to focus on that too much. "Am I _done?" _Lily continued, giggling. "Oh, am I!"

James stomped off to the boys' staircase. Lily watched him go.

Back in his dorm, James walked over to Moony, who was sitting at a table, drinking a butterbeer and shooting sparks in the air every few minutes, with Peter watching admirably. James sat down besides Moony and eavesdropped on Wormtail's and Remus' conversation.

"You- you think she likes me?" Peter asked him, staring off at a squat girl in a frizzy pink gown that looked like a giant lufa. "You really do?"

"Sure, why not, you know?" Moony answered, sending green stars over his shoulder. "I saw her eyeing you earlier. And she always tries to sit as close to you as possible during meals."

"Wow," Peter laughed. "What should I do? Talk to her?"

Moony smiled, "Yeah, you should. Ask her to dance. Ask her if she'd like some butterbeer. Ask her her favorite color." He laughed. "Ask her- ask her if she likes rodents."

Peter grinned. "All right! I'll ask her to dance!" He stood up, and slammed his butterbeer a little too hard onto the table; the glass broke and the butterbeer spilled on a bowl of peanuts. Moony mended it silently. "Go get her, Wormtail." And Peter hurried off into the dance crowd. James took his seat.

"That was really cool of you, Moony," he said, sitting down, taking a swig of Peter's butterbeer, and then spitting it out when he realized whose it was. Wiping his face, he turned to his friend. "I wish my love life was that simple."

Moony smiled at him. "Naw, Peter's been in love with Olivia for the past three years. I found out when I accidentally slept with his pillow. He's just never had the guts to tell her the truth. And, anyway, he's jealous of you."

"Of me?" James asked, frowning, as he conjured a new bottle of butterbeer.

"Yeah," Moony told him, sending a few more sparks towards the dancers. "Yeah, because you're popular and a Quidditch star. Wormtail always feels so insecure around you and Padfoot."

"I- I never thought about that," James realized, staring at his hands. And he and Padfoot were always so _mean_ to Wormtail.

"Maybe you should," Moony told him. "And anyway, what happened to Lily? I saw her come here and drag you out."

"Oh," James said, slumping. He took a long drought of butterbeer. Moony waited patiently. "About that. I think we're over."

"Over? But you said she kissed you."

"She- she did, but I guess she doesn't feel that way anymore. I told her I'd leave her alone and not bother her again and she didn't argue, so…" he smiled grimly. "Guess that's it."

"Well there's-"

"-More ingredients in the potion, right, I know," James cut him off.

Moony smiled at him. "There _are_."

"Yeah yeah," James rolled his eyes. "But six and a half years! I wish-"

"You wish what?" Moony asked.

"That I hadn't bugged her. Maybe she would have noticed me then." James smoothed his shirt. "I think I'll go down to the kitchens and get a glass of hot cocoa, k, Moony? Let me know if Peter had any luck."

Remus smiled. "You got it Prongs."

"Thanks," James told him before leaving, weaving his way through the crowd. He hurried to the door, with his hand on the knob, when he realized someone was standing in the hallway, talking to herself.

"What was I thinking?" The voice cried. "Why didn't I just tell him? He was right there, all sweet and sad… Why didn't I just kiss him? Why did I think he was _joking_?"

James opened the door a crack, and slipped through, closing it silently. He then caught sight of a very upset (very beautiful) Lily Evans banging her head on the wall.

"Why am I so _stupid_?" she whined.

"Erm…Lily?" James asked, smiling inside. "Are you okay?"

"Am I okay? Of course I'm not okay!" she cried. She turned around and, upon realizing who it was, fell backwards. James, with his Quidditch reflexes, leaned forward and caught her easily.

"Oh, bloody hell," Lily swore. James noticed, by the state of her makeup, that she'd been crying. For some reason, his heart soared.

"Are you okay?" James repeated.

"Oh, I'm so stupid!" Lily yelled, burying her face in his chest. James leaned against the wall, Lily deflated in his arms. He knew that if he let go, she would fall to the ground, and somehow the fact that she trusted him completely to hold her up made him smile.

"You're not stupid," he told her. "You're one of the smartest girls in our year. You won a stupid guitar from Sluggy, for Merlin's sake!"

"No! I'm stupid for not telling you," she whispered, looking up at him. "I'm really lousy." Somehow, she had stopped crying. And their faces were awfully close together.

James pulled away, putting her onto her feet. "I- I'm sorry, Evans, for bothering you." He stepped back. "I'll- I'll see you later."

"No! Wait!" Lily cried. "James, I-!"

_She said my name_, James realized. And then everything changed.

One moment, he was standing there, and the next, Lily Evans had ran into his arms and began to kiss him.

"Is that what you, um, wanted to tell me?" he asked, pushing her away.

"Yeah," Lily answered, blushing.

James grinned. "Good."

So he was going to enjoy the party after all.

**_and...fin._**

**sunny tuesday**


End file.
